Asbestos case highlights importance of good facilities management
August 20th 17:06 Health and Safety
The importance of properly carried out retail maintenance has been highlighted by a recent legal case.
A shopfitting company has been fined £4,000 after five workers were exposed to potentially deadly asbestos fibres at the Arndale Centre in Manchester.
It was found that Eastern Regional Shopfitters Ltd had failed to heed a report by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) which stated asbestos was present in a shop it was working on.
Two workers spent five days ripping out old shop fittings before becoming aware asbestos had been used in some of the ceiling panels.
Another three management staff were also potentially exposed to the fibres.
Tom Merry, the investigating inspector at HSE, said: "Abestos only becomes a risk if it is disturbed so the shop fitters could have worked safely if they knew where the asbestos was. It should either have been sealed or removed by a licensed contractor before the work started."
An estimated 4,000 people die from asbestos-related illnesses every year in the UK.
